Method and apparatus for assembling suspended panel ceiling

ABSTRACT

In order to assemble a panel ceiling in a large structure without scaffolding or platforms, where the ceiling panels are supported on hangers from a roof, the hangers being provided with panel supports on to which the panels can be lowered from above, two adjacent hangers are each temporarily connected by means of a rod-like rotatable member having offset guide and support means for the edge of a panel and which can be rotated toward a similar member so that a panel can be supported on its opposite edges by said guide and support means, which are then lowered by rotating the two rod-like elements in opposite directions to deposit the panel on the panel supports of the hangers, after which the rodlike members are moved to the next two sets of hangers from the previously laid panel and the operation repeated.

United States Patent I [1 1 p [111 3,802,149 Armstrong 1 Apr. 9, 1974 [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR 3,538,661 11/1970 Nelson 52/246 ASSEMBLING SUSPENDED PANEL 3,562,986 2/1971 Nelsom, 52/246 CEILING FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [75] Inventor; Edward Armstrong, Darlington, 250,725 10/ 1959 Australia... 52/484 England [73] Assignee: Conch International Methane Limited, Nassau, Bahamas 22 Filed: Jan. 15, 1973 2'11 Appl. No.: 323,354

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 113,537, Feb. 8, 197 1,

abandoned.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 20, 1970 Great Britain 8191/70 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Olsen 52/484 Primary Examiner--Frank L. Abbott Assistant Examiner-James L. Ridgill, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Max L. Libman ABSTRACT In order to assemble a panel ceiling in a large structure without scaffolding or platforms, where the ceiling panels are supported on hangers from a roof, the

hangers being provided with panel supports on to which the "panels can be lowered from above, two adjacent hangers are each temporarily connected by means of a rod-like rotatable member having offset guide and support means for the edge of a panel and which can be rotated toward a similar member so that a panel can be supported on its opposite edges by said guide and support means, which are then lowered by rotating the two rod-like elements in opposite directions to deposit the panel on the panel supports of the hangers, after which the rod-like members are moved to the next two sets of hangers from the previously laid panel and the operation repeated.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENYEDAPR 9mm 3.802.149

SHEEIIOFS Inventor y W Attorney ATENTEUAFR 9 5174 saw 2 0r 3 PATENTED APR 9 I974 SHEET 3 0F 3 FIG. 5.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING SUSPENDED PANEL CEILING This application is in part a Continuation of Application Ser. No. 113,537, filed Feb. 8, 1971, now abandoned.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for assembling a ceiling of the kind including individual panels suspended from a roof by hangers. The invention has particular application to ceilings in which the panels have at least two substantially parallel sides supported between adjacent sets of hangers. With such a ceiling, if the panels are of significant size, it would normally be necessary to provide scaffolding or a platform which is supported beneath the plane of the ceiling, i.e., by a wall or by the ground.

An object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for assembling such a ceiling progressively from above the plane of the ceiling thereby eliminating or at least greatly reducing the requirement of providing scaffolding or a platform.

According to one aspect of the invention, a method for assembling a ceiling of the kind including individual panels suspended from a roof via hangers, comprises progressively fitting said individual panels, which have at least two parallel edges, between two sets of hangers, each set comprising at least two hangers, each panel fitting comprising the steps of releasably connecting each set of hangers above the plane of the ceiling byan elongated member which is capable of rotation about its axis, orienting the members to a first rotational position in which a pair of guides carried by the members project inwardly of said members and extend substantially parallel to each other, locating the panel on the guides so that the panel is directly above its ceiling location, and rotating the members so as to lower the panel to its ceiling location and to release the panel from the guides.

According to another aspect of this invention, there is provided apparatus for assembling a ceiling of the kind including individual panels suspended from a roof via hangers comprising a pair of elongated members, each member having an offset guide extending along a part of its length, means whereby the member can be rotatably mounted on a selected set of hangers at a predetermined distance above the plane of the ceiling and means for maintaining the hangers of the set at a predetermined spacing in the direction of the member, the members being of opposite hands and being arranged such that, when rotatably mounted on two adjacent sets of hangers, the members can be rotated from a first support position, in which the guides project inwardly of their members and are substantially parallel to each other for receiving and supporting a ceiling panel, which has at least two parallel edges for location of the guides, directly above its ceiling location, to a second position in which the guides are released from the panel, rotation of the members causing the panel to be lowered to its ceiling location.

Preferably the hangers have plates attached to their lower ends for supporting the panels and, to facilitate assembly and location, each plate has a pin, boss or the like arranged to fit within an aperture in a panel.

In one form the panels may be substantially rectangular, with the hangers arranged in a rectangular lattice pattern, each panel having an aperture near each of its corners.

The ceiling assembly is suitable for use, for example, in storage arrangements for liquefied gas such as liquefied natural gas or methane, or liquefied petroleum gases such as ethane, propane, butane, ethylene and propylene. Thus, the assembly may be applied to the storage arrangement described and claimed in the copending US. patent of Robert G. Jackson, No. 3,648,879, for Storage Arrangement for Liquefied Gas, in which a suspended ceiling extends horizontally over the liquefied gas storage space and comprises a number of insulated panels which are supported such that if subjected to significant temperature variations they are free to move relative to each other and to their hangers. With such an application, to allow for the relative movement between the panels and their hangers, the apertures in the panels would be: made significantly larger than their locating pins.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and further features made apparent, one embodiment thereof applied to a liquefied gas storage arrangement will now be described, by way of example, with refer ence to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the storage arrangement;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the apparatus for assembling the ceiling panels;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing the clamp in the pivotal handle;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the hook; and

FIG. 5 is an end view of the left-hand lance shown in FIG. 2, showing in dash lines the position of the unit at various stages of its operation. t 1

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the storage arrangement is generally as described in said co-pending US. Patent and includes a ceiling 1 suspended from a roof 2 by hangers 3, the hangers 3 being arranged in a rectangular lattice pattern and the ceiling panels 4 being substantially rectangular. All but the outermost hangers 3 are provided at their lower ends with square support plates 5 and the outermost hangers are attached to a frame 5a, which extends around the perimeter of the ceiling; the lengths of the hangers are such that the plates 5 and the frame 5a are supported at a constant height. Each plate 5 is provided near each of its corners with an upstanding pin 6 (see FIG. 2). Each ceiling panel 4 is of corrugated form supported across its width and near to its end by the box section beams 7, which are fixed, as by welding, to the panels 4, and act to support the panels and also to maintain their width constant. Alternatively, the panels may be in the form of shallow, open boxes, e.g., as described in said co-pending US. Patent. Each corner of each panel 4 has an aperture 8, which is preferably positioned in a valley of the corrugations, adaped to fit over a selected pin 6 on a hanger plate 5. Also the beams 7 are spaced along the panel to coincide with the spacing of the hanger pins 6 and the apertures 8 also extend through these beams. Thus, in its location position in the ceiling each panel 4 rests on four adjacent hanger plates 5 via the beams 7, the panels being held substantially in position by the pins 6 on these hanger plates. The length of the panels is such that in their located positions the ends of the panels overlap each other, the width of the panels being such that the panels pass between their adjacent pairs of hangers 3.

If the ceiling arrangement described above is required for use in accordance with the invention described and claimed in said co-pending US. Patent, it will be appreciated that apertures 8 in the panels 4 will be made significantly larger than the diameter of the pins 6 so that, if the ceiling is subjected to significant temperature variations, relative movement can take place between individual panels and their hangers.

In addition, many of the features discussed in the said co-pending U.S. Patent, for example, the application of insulation material to the panels and the provision of porous material to cover any gaps left between individual panels, may also be used in this embodiment.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 2, in accordance with this invention, the manner in which the panels 4 are assembled will now be described.

The apparatus for assembling the panels 4 comprises a pair of elongated members or lances 9. Each lance is in the form of a tube 11 having a guide bar 12 extend ing from one end and over a substantial part of the length of the tube 11. The guide bar 12 is offset from tube 11 by brackets 13 and 14 fixed to tube 11. The bracket 13 is mounted at said one end of the tube 11 and carries a hook 15. The tube 11 also carries fixed thereto a pair of axially spaced, radially projecting pins 16 which are axially spaced from the bracket 14 and a further bracket 17 fixed to the tube 11 and axially spaced from the pins 16. The bracket 17 has an openended slot 18 and a handle 19 is pivotally mounted on this bracket for limited swinging motion about pivot pin 190. The pairs of lances 9 are of opposite hands, i.e., the guide bars 12, hooks 15, pins 16 and brackets 17 are offset in opposite directions with respect to their tubes 11. Each hanger 3 carries a radially projecting pin 21 at a common height above its support plate or frame 50', the pins of all the hangers being substantially parallel and facing in the same direction.

To mount a lance 9 on a pair of adjacent hangers 3, the lance is oriented so that its guide bar 12 is substantially vertically beneath its tube 11, and the lance is then extended from a position adjacent one of the hangers across the space between the latter. The said one end of the tube 11 is engaged with the end of the pin 21 of the distant hanger 3 and the slot 18 (which could equally well be a hole) in the bracket 17 is similarly engaged with the end of the pin 21 of the adjacent hanger. In this initial position, i.e., with the bar 12 substantially vertically beneath the tube 11, the bracket 14 and pins and 16 will clear the hanger 3, i.e., pass to the left of it as viewed in the direction of the arrows 5-5, as the lance is now thrust fully home onto the pins 21 and 21. The lance is then rotated through approximately 90 to the support position shown in FIG. 2, in which position the hook 15 embraces the distant hanger and the pins 16 embrace the adjacent hanger. This rotation also moves the guide bar 12 to a position spaced to one side of the pair of hangers. To hold it in this position, the handle 19 is swung on its pivot 190 from the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, toward the hanger 3 to engage clip 19a with the hanger 3 and thus hold the handle upright so as to prevent rotation of the lance and retain the guide bars 12 in the position shown in FIG. 2. Pins 15 and 16 in this position obviously prevent axial displacement of the lance, which is now fixed in place and can support one side of sheet 4.

To assemble a panel 4 in the ceiling 1, the lance 9 is mounted between each of two adjacent pairs of hangers as above described and these lances are rotated to their support positions shown in FIG. 2 in which the guide bars extend inwardly into the space between the pairs of hangers. Each lance can be held in its support position by the clip 19a provided on the handle 19 and clipping on to the adjacent hanger at a position above the hanger pin 21 as above described. In this embodiment, due to the point of rotation provided by the slot 18 of each bracket 17 being offset from the axis of the tube 11 of its lance, a small angle is left between the tube and the guide bar 12 such that the guide bars of the pair of lances when mounted are substantially parallel. The corrugated panel 4 is now mounted and pushed out along the guide bars 12 into engagement with stop pins 22 carried by the distant ends of the guide bars. In this position the panel 4 is directly above its ceiling location. The sides of the panels overlapping the guide bars end in turned-down portions 23 of the corrugations and thus act to maintain the spacing between the distant ones of the two pairs of hangers. After positioning the panel, the handle 19 of one lance 9 is unclipped from its hanger and the lance is then rotated to lower its respective side of the panel into the plane of the ceiling and to guide the two apertures 8 along this side over their respective pins 6 on the hanger support plates 5. The same procedure is then followed with the other lance 9 to locate the panel in the ceiling l. The height of the hanger pins 21 above the plane of the ceiling and the offsetting of the guide bars 12 with respect to their tubes 11 are arranged to be such that the guide bars release from the turned-down portions 23 of the panels when the lances are rotated to a position in which the guide bars are again substantially vertical beneath their tubes 11 as shown in dotted line in FIG. 5; the lances are thereby free for withdrawal from the hanger pins 21, and for further use in placing other panels.

It will be appreciated that with the method and apparatus described above, the ceiling can be built up progressively from above the plane of the ceiling and with the particular storage arrangement shown in FIG. 1 the use of scaffolding or platforms is completely avoided. Initially the panels are assembled from the top of the insulated wall of the storage arrangement and thereafter the erectors may move progressively over the panels as they are assembled. It will be appreciated also that the method and apparatus can be used other than for suspended ceilings in storage arrangements for liquefied gas, e.g., the mounting of acoustic panels for a concert hall or the like or the provision of false ceilings in buildings.

I claim:

1. a. A method of assembling a ceiling of the kind including individual panels suspended from a roof via hangers comprising progressively fitting said individual panels, which have at least two substantially parallel edges, between two sets of hangers, each set comprising at least a pair of hangers,

h. each ceiling panel fitting comprising the steps of c. releasably connecting each set of hangers above the plane of the ceiling by means of an elongated member which is capable of rotation about its axis,

d. orienting the members with respect to the hangers into a first rotational position in which a pair of guides carried by the members project inwardly of said members, and extend substantially parallel to each other,

3 ,802 ,149 5 6 e. locating the parallel edges of said panel on the 3. a. Apparatus for assembling :a ceiling of the kind guides so that the panel is directly above its ceiling including individual panels suspended from a roof via location, hangers, comprising a pair of elongated members, f. and rotating the members so as to lower the panel h. each member having an offset guide extending to its ceiling location and to release the panel from 5 along a part of its length, i the guides. c. means whereby each member can be rotatably 2. a. Method of assembling a panel ceiling from a mounted with each end thereof supported on one roof on hangers provided with supporting elements of a selected pair of hangers at a predetermined onto which the edges of individual panels can be lowdistance above the plane of the ceiling and means ered to form such ceiling, comprising the steps of 10 for maintaining the hangers of the said pair at a b. temporarily attaching an elongated rod between a set of two adjacent hangers so that one end of the rod is supported by each hanger,

c. repeating the operation of step (b) between a secpredetermined spacing in the direction of the member, i

d. the members being of opposite hands and being arranged such that, when rotatably mounted on two ond set of hangers adjacent to and parallel to the adjacent sets of hangers, the members can be rofirst set with another similar rod, tated d. each rod being rotatable about its axis when so atd from a first support position, in which the guides tached and each having an offset linear guide memproject inwardly of their members and are subber which is oriented toward the other rod in the stantially parallel with each other for receiving initial position of the operation and is held parallel and supporting two parallel edges of a ceiling to the other guide member and above said supportpanel directly above its ceiling location, ing elements of the hangers, d to a second position in which the guides are ree. supporting a panel by two opposite edges resting leased from the panel, said rotation of the memon said guide means and above said supporting elebers causing the panel to be lowered to its ceiling ments, location. i f. rotating said rods with respect to the hangers so as 4. Apparatus according to claim 3,

to lower the guide means and deposite the panel on e. wherein the hangers have plates attached to their said supporting elements, lower ends for supporting the panels and each plate g. moving said elongated rods to an adjacent set of has a pin, boss or the like arranged to fit within an hangers and repeating the operation with another aperture in a panel. p l k 

1. A. A method of assembling a ceiling of the kind including individual panels suspended from a roof via hangers comprising progressively fitting said individual panels, which have at least two substantially parallel edges, between two sets of hangers, each set comprising at least a pair of hangers, b. each ceiling panel fitting comprising the steps of c. releasably connecting each set of hangers above the plane of the ceiling by means of an elongated member which is capable of rotation about its axis, d. orienting the members with respect to the hangers into a first rotational position in which a pair of guides carried by the members project inwardly of said members, and extend substantially parallel to each other, e. locating the parallel edges of said panel on the guides so that the panel is directly above its ceiling location, f. and rotating the members so as to lower the panel to its ceiling location and to release the panel from the guides.
 2. a. Method of assembling a panel ceiling from a roof on hangers provided with supporting elements onto which the edges of individual panels can be lowered to form such ceiling, comprising the steps of b. temporarily attaching an elongated rod between a set of two adjacent hangers so that one end of the rod is supported by each hanger, c. repeating the operation of step (b) between a second set of hangers adjacent to and parallel to the first set with another similar rod, d. each rod being rotatable about its axis when so attached and each having an offset linear guide member which is oriented toward the other rod in the initial position of the operation and is held parallel to the other guide member and above said supporting elements of the hangers, e. supporting a panel by two opposite edges resting on said guide means and above said supporting elements, f. rotating said rods with respect to the hangers so as to lower the guide means and deposite the panel on said supporting elements, g. moving said elongated rods to an adjacent set of hangers and repeating the operation with another panel.
 3. a. Apparatus for assembling a ceiling of the kind including individual panels suspended from a roof via hangers, comprising a pair of elongated members, b. each member having an offset guide extending along a part of its length, c. means whereby each member can be rotatably mounted with each end thereof supported on one of a selected pair of hangers at a predetermined distance above the plane of the ceiling and means for maintaining the hangers of the said pair at a predetermined spacing in the direction of the member, d. the members being of opposite hands and being arranged such that, when rotatably mounted on two adjacent sets of hangers, the members can be rotated d1. from a first support position, in which the guides project inwardly of their members and are substantially parallel with each other for receiving and supporting two parallel edges of a ceiling panel directly above its ceiling location, d2. to a second position in which the guides are released from the panel, said rotation of the members causing the panel to be lowered to its ceiling location.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, e. wherein the hangers have plates attached to their lower ends for supporting the panels and each plate has a pin, boss or the like arranged to fit within an aperture in a panel. 